NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After nearly four hours, Nissan Stadium lifted its “Shelter in Place” so Taylor Swift could take the stage Sunday night following Nashville’s severe weather.

Despite the stormy forecast, tens of thousands of fans showed up to the stadium on Sunday, May 7, to see Swift perform.

“It’s Taylor Swift, you just make it happen,” said Tessa Duffer of Smyrna. 

“Yep, it’s a once in a lifetime kind of thing,” Duffer’s friend, Reece Kimmell of Cookeville, added.

The National Weather Service (NWS) worked closely with Nissan Stadium throughout the afternoon and evening to monitor the weather and determine next steps.

Meanwhile, Faith Borden with NWS Nashville encouraged fans to take necessary precautions.  

“If you hear thunder, thunder roars, go indoors. If you see a flash, dash inside. Those are the two catch phrases that we have,” Borden explained. “So if you’re close enough to hear thunder, then you’re close enough to get struck by lightning. If you’re close enough to see lightning strike, then you’re most definitely close enough to get struck.”

The Cameron family from Murfreesboro showed up with custom ponchos. Their daughter, Ally, welcomed a rainy performance from Swift in her own backyard.  

“A lot of her songs have, like, standing in the pouring rain or dancing in the pouring rain, so I’m sure she’s excited for it to rain,” Ally said. “A good rain show, she loves them. She always has. There’s so many pictures of her enjoying rain shows from all of her tours.”

However, at 5:40 p.m. on Sunday, Nissan Stadium posted the following statement on Twitter:

Lightning Advisory

For those in Nissan Stadium, please proceed to the shelter areas as directed by staff. Please remain calm and proceed to the covered and interior areas of the stadium.

Then, at 6:08 p.m., Nissan Stadium announced that lightning was approaching the venue.

Concertgoers were urged to move to the covered areas of the ramps or concourses, or follow the stadium officials’ directions to shelter areas.

If you were approaching the Nissan Stadium entrance, you were instructed to proceed to the nearest open gate and seek shelter immediately.

Any guests who were still in their vehicles were asked to stay there.

The concert — which is Swift’s final show in Nashville for “The Era’s Tour” — was set to begin at 6:30 p.m., but the gates opened a couple hours earlier to let ticketholders inside the stadium.

At 6:31 p.m., Nissan Stadium posted another update:

Hang in there, Swifties! We appreciate your patience as we wait out this storm. More updates to come.

P.S. Keep singing your favorite songs in the concourse! We hear y’all and we love it! #NashvilleTSTheErasTour

Multiple people posted videos on social media of Swifties singing some of the musician’s most iconic songs in the concourses as they waited for the show to start.

Nissan Stadium reported at 6:57 p.m. that the venue would stay under “Shelter in Place” until the current storm passed, adding that Swift was expected to take the stage at a delayed start time.

Then, at 7:58 p.m., the stadium promised the concertgoers it would be “Just a little longer,” saying that the “Shelter in Place” would continue while waiting for the lightning to pass.

That announcement came just after an encouraging tweet from Swift, which said, in part, “I know there’s talk of a rainy weather vibe tonight but I’m ready to play, see you sooon!!”

At 9:03 p.m., Nissan Stadium tweeted the “Shelter In Place” was still in effect as a safety measure, so guests needed to stay under the covered areas for the time being.

However, venue officials said production crews were working to prepare for the show and they would notify concertgoers about when they could return to their seats.

Then, at 9:25 p.m., Nissan Stadium posted a long-awaited message:

Drop everything now! Meet me in the pouring rain!

Shelter in Place has officially been lifted! Fans, please start safely making your way to your seats. Once production wraps up, Taylor Swift will hit the stage!

At 9:50 p.m., stadium officials urged concertgoers to make their way to their seats, saying that Swift’s final Nashville show for “The Eras Tour” was about to begin.

Sure enough, at 10:13 p.m., Nissan Stadium posted a video showing the opening of Swift’s concert, which was met by deafening cheers from the crowd.

Swift played more than 40 songs, performed for about three hours and gave fans the “enchanted” evening they were promised.

The show ended around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, May 8.